This invention relates generally to hand-held portable counting devices, and, more particularly, to a counting device which may be operated with only one hand and which is carried in such a way as to avoid the problems presented by prior art portable counting devices.
Athletes, particularly runners, bicyclers, and swimmers, typically train by making a series of repetitive laps around a track or along a pool lane. Depending upon the distance covered on each lap and the total distance to be covered in a particular training session, the athlete is required to keep track of the cumulative total of laps. The number of laps and the elapsed time between laps are generally too great for the athlete to rely only upon his memory and some counting mechanism is required. This is particularly important in the case of the swimmer who, training in a pool 25 yards or 25 meters in length, must make 50 laps or more in a typical training session.
Neither the presence nor the operation of a counting device should interfere with the athlete's training activities. Furthermore, since many athletes are involved in several different training activities (as for purposes of triathlon or biathlon participation), the ability to use the same counter for multiple activities is highly desirable.
Several kinds of counting devices have been proposed to address the needs of these athletes. One such device is a watch which includes a lap counting function which records the cumulative number of laps based upon the athlete's depression of a button at the end of each lap. This device, however, requires a cross-handed operation which is inconvenient in the case of a bicycler or runner, and virtually impossible in the case of a swimmer.
Other prior art counting devices sometimes employed by these athletes are designed to fit in the palm of one hand, with an actuating button positioned for operation by a finger of that hand. This device may be marginally effective for a runner, but is inappropriate for use by a bicycler, whose hand must grip a bar assembly, or by a swimmer, since the presence of the device in the palm of the hand interferes with the efficient use of the swimmer's cupped hand during the swimming downstroke.